It's a safety feature!
The TOS helm restoration
- Thread starter feek61
- Start date
It's a safety feature!
Does anyone know if the Star Trek exhibit at the EMP is a temporary or permanent display? If temporary, someone needs to give it a permanent home!
It's temporary and will close on 3/05/17 so see it while you can! At this point there is a small chance that it may travel but with many of the items on loan to the EMP for the exhibit; I'm not sure how that would work with the owners of the pieces.
How about everyone give me all their money, I will buy the pieces, and put them on display.
Something I've wondered for decades: Has anyone documented the episodes where Sulu's retractable helm viewer was actually raised/lowered? Offhand I can only recall it being shown (verrrry slowly) raising in "Friday's Child" (with stock footage used in "Spock's Brain") and maybe one other episode I can't recall. Late in S3 the viewer seemed to be in the raised position all of the time; I always assumed the apparently complex mechanism broke and was never repaired before the series wrapped. Was the mechanism functional when the console restoration began?
On a like note, I seem to recall a similar discussion about the moiré display at Spock's science station; when did it fall out of use and why? Sometimes (mainly in S1) it is seen spinning, and later it is seen stationary and by S3 it is completely dark. Like the helm viewer, I thought it might have broken, but I also recall reading some directors found it distracting and simply turned it off.
On a like note, I seem to recall a similar discussion about the moiré display at Spock's science station; when did it fall out of use and why? Sometimes (mainly in S1) it is seen spinning, and later it is seen stationary and by S3 it is completely dark. Like the helm viewer, I thought it might have broken, but I also recall reading some directors found it distracting and simply turned it off.
I believe the raising sequence is (at least partially) shown in 5 episodes which off the top of my head are: "Friday's Child", "Mirror, Mirror", "The Omega Glory", "Who Mourns for Adonais" and "The Paradise Syndrome". There may be others like in "Spocks Brain" where they used repeat footage. The scanner is NEVER seen lowering. It made a LOT of noise with it's two motors so it wasn't shown raising very often which is the same problem with Spocks scanner display. The scaner display broke in season 2 and was so noisy that they didn't fix it but it was repaired and seen in season 3 if I recall correctly.
As far as the helm mechanism; we were not allowed to power it up so I can't say if the motors are still functional. It has two motors; one for the two main doors and another for the armature; both chain driven. Both chains are missing and the push-rods for the doors are disconnected but everything else appears to be intact.
There is more information on the helm scanner (and console) here (in post #8): http://tosgraphics.yuku.com/topic/467/The-Bridge-Helm-amp-Navigation-Station
As far as the helm mechanism; we were not allowed to power it up so I can't say if the motors are still functional. It has two motors; one for the two main doors and another for the armature; both chain driven. Both chains are missing and the push-rods for the doors are disconnected but everything else appears to be intact.
There is more information on the helm scanner (and console) here (in post #8): http://tosgraphics.yuku.com/topic/467/The-Bridge-Helm-amp-Navigation-Station
I noticed the viewing end of your replacement helm scanner hood isn't wider than the base of the viewing shaft. Was this deliberate?
The end of the viewer that you look into is wider than where in meets the housing atop the movable support structure. Wonky is a good description of it. Your replacement isn't noticeably wider like the original was. Of course it could just be the camera angles.
I saw an interview with Jim Rugg, the special effects man from TOS, where he said he noticed that the moire display wasn't being used. He asked for the reason and was told that the motor was defective and was too noisy. Rugg also said that with the tight budget of Season 3 there wasn't any money available to buy a new motor.
It's temporary and will close on 3/05/17 so see it while you can! At this point there is a small chance that it may travel but with many of the items on loan to the EMP for the exhibit; I'm not sure how that would work with the owners of the pieces.[/QUOTE]
True. I can only speak for myself, but if owned an original TOS prop I would be willing to donate it to a permanent ST collection where everyone could enjoy it!
I've often thought of what it would be like to own an original costume, prop or set piece from TOS. One word would describe the feeling.....AWESOME!!!
Funny, one of the photos which you use in your TLOZ blog ( the "Sulu thinking "What the hell was THAT"" photo) is one that I used and was able to identify nails on the front of the console and matched them to those on the console as it is today. For some strange reason this discovery gave me great pleasure!
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I have to say as a life long TOS to just be able to see up close some of these items or sets, Kirk's chair, McCoy's bioscanner above the bed, Spock's quarters and seeing them in their state now, well I get emotional. (Don't say no one else does) lol
To those that protect these artifacts of a possible future, thank you.
(Sorry guys, long time lurker, just haven't posted much. My mother died recently and she was the one that instilled my love for TOS. I sat and watched the first syndicated episodes while she cleaned the house. She made sure every Christmas, long after I moved out, got married, had a kid that she always gave me something Trek related. Thanks Mom! Say hi to Leonard and De for me!)
To those that protect these artifacts of a possible future, thank you.
(Sorry guys, long time lurker, just haven't posted much. My mother died recently and she was the one that instilled my love for TOS. I sat and watched the first syndicated episodes while she cleaned the house. She made sure every Christmas, long after I moved out, got married, had a kid that she always gave me something Trek related. Thanks Mom! Say hi to Leonard and De for me!)
I'm sorry to hear about your mother, Tony. Nobody's death ever hit me harder than my mother's. I loved my dad, but the grieving was no comparison. You will never forget how this felt, but a time will come when the pain has eased and the fond memories remain.
Yeah, that would be great, wouldn't it? I've often wondered how people acquire these items, especially after nearly 5 decades since the series ended. How was the person in charge of the EMP exhibit able to locate who had what items? Is there a ST prop directory somewhere we should know about?I've often thought of what it would be like to own an original costume, prop or set piece from TOS. One word would describe the feeling.....AWESOME!!!
McCoy's bioscanner and Spock's quarters? Are you kidding? I would love to see that! I believe the Gorn costume is supposed to be on display there, too. Did they happen to locate the Mugato (mugatu?) costume from "A Private Little War"? That is one scary-a**ed ape creature!
Very sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. Anyone who has ever lost a parent knows that feeling, and it doesn't matter what age you are...it still hurts. The pain will indeed get better and eventually heal with time.
